Directs the commissioner of mental health to establish a public awareness campaign concerning the dangers of social media and cell phone use by school-age children, including but not limited to the addictive qualities of social media, the stunting impact of social media usage on the development of social skills, increased feelings of isolation, anxiety and depression among adolescent users and the attendant amplification of peer on peer bullying, and increased rates of adolescent suicide and suicide attempts, as well as about how to recognize suicide risk factors and seek suicide prevention assistance.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A3941
SPONSOR: Woerner TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
public awareness campaign concerning the dangers of social media and
cell phone use by school-age children
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL::
To establish a public awareness campaign to educate parents, school
children and their community of the dangers of sociak, media and cell
phone use by school-age children
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS::
Section 1: Adds subdivision n of section 7.09 of the mental hygiene law
to authorize the commissioner to develop and implement a public aware-
ness campaign about the negative mental health impacts of social media
and cell phone use on school-age children, including but not limited to
the addictive qualities of social media, the stunting impact of social
media usage on the development of social skills, increased feelings of
isolation, anxiety and depression among adolescent users and the attend-
ant amplification of peer on peer bullying, and increased rates of
adolescent suicide and suicide attempts, as well as about how to recog-
nize suicide risk factors and seek suicide prevention assistance; and
directs the campaign to begin within sixty days from the law's effective
date and end on June 30, 2028.Section two: establishes the effective
date.
JUSTIFICATION::
Research studies, as well as the "lived experience" of many students and
teachers across the state, show the detrimental effects that social
media and cell phone use are having on school-age children. As social
media and cell phone use among teenagers and younger children has rapid-
ly accelerated over the last decade, the prevalence of anxiety in chil-
dren of these age groups has also surged. This bill will provide for a
public awareness campaign to educate parents, school children and the
community of the dangers of social media and cell phone use by school-
age children, plus how to recognize suicide risk factors and to seek
suicide prevention assistance.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY::
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS::
TBD
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3941
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Mental Health
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
public awareness campaign concerning the dangers of social media and
cell phone use by school-age children
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 7.09 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding
2 a new subdivision (n) to read as follows:
3 (n) The commissioner shall develop and implement a public awareness
4 campaign about the negative mental health impacts of social media and
5 cell phone use on school-age children, including but not limited to the
6 addictive qualities of social media, the stunting impact of social media
7 usage on the development of social skills, increased feelings of
8 isolation, anxiety and depression among adolescent users and the attend-
9 ant amplification of peer on peer bullying, and increased rates of
10 adolescent suicide and suicide attempts, as well as about how to recog-
11 nize suicide risk factors and seek suicide prevention assistance. Such
12 campaign shall utilize public forums, social media and mass media,
13 including but not limited to internet, radio, and print advertising and
14 shall include educational materials and information on the office's
15 website. The office shall consult with stakeholders and consumer advo-
16 cates to ensure such campaign is culturally competent and linguistically
17 appropriate. Such campaign shall begin within sixty days following the
18 effective date of this subdivision and shall end on June thirtieth, two
19 thousand twenty-eight.
20 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07336-01-5
